(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a riding type exercising apparatus, and more particularly to an exercising apparatus in which a hand drive mechanism and a leg drive mechanism are separated to position the hand drive mechanism behind the user's body so that a comparatively longer travel may be generated when both handles of the hand drive mechanism are pulled, thus enhancing the exercising effects and comfort in using such type of exercising apparatus.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The riding type exercising apparatus is a new kind of indoor exercising apparatus which is currently quite popular. Such exercising apparatus utilizes the weight of the user as a source of resistance to provide convenient exercising effects. This is the reason why they are popular.
There are, however, a number of disadvantages in these apparatuses, which will hereinafter be described with reference to three known apparatuses of this type.
With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 which show three different known riding type exercising apparatuses, it can be seen that all three commonly have a main action bar A having a rotary pivot axle B provided in front and below a seat portion C. Under normal circumstances, handles D are located at a higher point relative to the rotary pivot axle B. When the user is seated on the seat portion C and grips the handles D to pull the main action bar A towards the body, an auxiliary action bar E located at a lower position relative to the rotary pivot axle B will, through a link F, push the seat portion C gradually upward to a final point. However, since the handles D are located at a higher point relative to the rotary pivot axle B, when the handles undergo an arcuate displacement with axle B as the center of the circle, their final point will be lower than their starting point. In other words, the seat portion C rises gradually upwardly while the handles D descend to a small extent, so the seat portion C and the handles D approach each other.
This kind of apparatus operation does not provide optimum exercising posture and smoothness because there is no obvious change in the positions of the user's hands prior to pulling the handles D and after the final point is reached since the elevation between the seat portion C and the handles D becomes restricted due to the rise of the seat portion C and the slight drop of the handles D. In other words, when the user utilizes this kind of exercising apparatus, the hands of the user are merely performing linear pulling and extending movements in front of the user's abdomen and is restricted from performing large arm swinging or expanding movements. Thus, the exercising effects provided thereby cannot be compared with other kinds of indoor exercising apparatuses.
Furthermore, when the user's arms are located at a final point of movement, both arms are in a substantially bent position and press against the user's abdomen, so such a posture is not only uncomfortable but the user may accidentally bump the abdomen.